Tuapiro Point

Tuapiro Point
November 19

I took lots of photos for my blog and wrote about all the exciting places I visited in Europe and England. However, I was embarrassed when showing my hosts the book about the Bay Of Plenty I had taken with me to show them. I had to admit that I had not visited some of the beautiful sites in the book.

I decided it was time to make amends and start exploring closer to home. In November and early December we were blessed with some gorgeous, early summer weather. It was time to get out and about with the camera.

Katikati is on a narrow strip of land between the Kaimai mountain range and the Tauranga Harbour. Protecting the land from the open sea is the long strip of Matakana Island. Small peninsulas jut out into the harbour. Kiwifruit and avocado orchards thrive here on “life sentence” blocks, or as the owners would have you believe, on life style blocks.

Tuapiro Point is one such peninsula and is only ten minutes drive from home. My excursion was to collect pine needles for my strawberry garden, from under the pines which grow on the point. They make ideal mulch for strawberries.

The day was so perfect I decided to walk around the point for the first time. Across from the northern end is Tanners Point and further around is Athenree, where there are thermal pools. Across the harbour is the entrance at Bowentown Heads, one of the most dangerous harbour bars in New Zealand. I once went out with the coast guards, to write a story for the newspaper about the course they run, teaching boaties to cross the bar safely. I was very happy there were not too many white caps that day. Around the point from Bowentown is the long stretch of white sand and surf at Waihi Beach. To the south is Ongare Point and further south Kauri Point, then Katikati.

It took about 30 minutes to walk around the point and I had the place all to myself except for the herons, gulls, gannets, oyster catchers, stilts and the occasional fish plopping in the glassy water. Sounds like paradise? It is!